Auxiliary spring for latches.



A. A. PAGE. AUXILIARY SPRING FOR LATOHES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 16, 1912.

Patented Mar. 10, 191i Q Page;

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES ALBERT A. PAGE, OF EAST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TOSARGENT 8:: COM- PANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

AUXILIARY SPRING FOR LATCI-IES.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 16, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, ALBERT A. Pnon, a citizenof the United States, residing in East Haven, county of New Haven, andState of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Auxillary Springs for Latches, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to auxiliary sprlngs for looks in which a springprotracted latch bolt is retractable by means of a knob or lever handle.

It has been customary heretofore in some cases, especially where a heavylever handle is employed, to have an auxiliary spring act on the spindleof the lever handle at a point beneath the escutcheon for the purpose ofrelieving the latch bolt spring from the work of returning the handle toits normal position each time that the lock is actuated. In most cases,however, the auxiliary spring has been single acting, that is, it hasbeen arranged to act on the spindle in only one direction, and the usualconstruct-ions lack moreover the desired simplicity of manufacture andinstallation. Furthermore, they do not in many instances protect thelock mechanism from breakage when the lever handle or knob is forciblymanipulated by a burglar or sneak thief for the purpose of breaking thelock, or where the handle or knob is roughly handled by any person inthe ordinary operation. of the lock.

The object of the present invention is to provide an auxiliary springdevice attachment for locks which is of simple, strong, inexpensive anddurable construction and wherein all of the above mentioned defects areavoided.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel featuresand c0mbinat-ions of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of adoor equipped with the improved device, the lever handle or knob beingomitted, Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,Fig. 3 is a detailrear face view of the auxiliary spring device shown inFig. 2, Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is asection similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating a modified construction.

Referring to the drawing, 10 indicates a portion of a door equipped witha lock comprising a latch bolt 11 retractable by a manipulating membersuch as a lever handle 12. This lever handle is mounted in the usual wayin an escutcheon 13 of ordinary type and is attached to a spindle l4cooperating with the latch bolt 11 in any preferred manner in order toretract the same. As the latch retracting mechanism itself forms no partof the present invention I have not considered it necessary toillustrate and describe it in detail but it will be understood that thelatch bolt is usually equipped with a comparatively light spring bymeans of which it is normally held in its protracted position.

Referring to Figs. '1 and 2, 15 indicates, generally, an auxiliaryspring device acting on the spindle 14 at a point beneath the escutcheon13. The device 15 is preferably set in a mortise 16 in communicationwith the bore 17 for the spindle. It consists of substantially parallelfront and rear plates 15 15 connected with each other in spaced relationby means of distance pieces or studs 18, the plate 15 being providedwith holes 19 for screws 20 by means of which it is secured in themortise. The spindle 14 passes through alined holes in the plates 15 15and between the plates the spindle is embraced by a cam 20 havingtrunnions or bearing portions 21 fitting the aforesaid holes or openingsin the plates. In this manner, the cam 20 is rotatably supported betweenthe plates, and as the opening 22 therein is of polygonal shape tocorrespond with the spindle 14, it will be understood that as thespindle is oscillated the cam will oscillate correspondingly.

The cam 20 is acted on by a double acting spring 23 which is preferablyconstructed of a single piece of stout spring wire bent around one ofthe studs or distance pieces 18 and crossed over in such a manner thatit presents oppositely acting legs or branches which pass along andcontact with opposite sides of the cam 20.

The spring 23, in pressing uniformly against the cam from opposite sidesnormally holds it, together with the spindle 14, in the neutral positionshown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 4, in which position the latch boltoccupies its. usual protracted position. If the latch bolt is retractedby swinging the lever 12 upward with reference to Fig. 1

the cam will be moved into the position nipulating spindle is actuatedin either dishown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 so that the right handbranch of the spring will be put under increased tension. As aconsequence, when the lever 12 is released by the operator, the righthand portion of the spring will be effective without other assistance toreturn the lever handle to the normal position shown in Fig. 1. On theother hand, when the lever handle is depressed to retract the latch boltthe cam 20 will be swung to the left with respect to Fig. 4t therebybringing the left hand branch of the spring into operation with similarresults. It will therefore be understood that although the spring isformed of a single piece of material, it has a right and left action onthe spindleconnected cam so as to return it with the proper amount offorce when the spindle is oscillated in either direction.

In order to protect the interior mechanism of the lock against breakageby rough handling of the lever handle or its equivalent, I provide stopmeans for limiting the movement of the cam 20 in both directions. In theembodiment illustrated, the plate 15 is provided with a stop pin or lug24 adapted to be contacted by the side of the cam as the latter isthrown in one direction, while the plate 15 carries a similar stop pinor lug 25 with which the cam cooperates in the same way when it isoscillated in the opposite di rection. Hence it will be understood thatwhen the lever handle is roughly or forcibly manipulated the cam 20 willbe positively arrested in its oscillating movement in either directionin such a manner as to prevent the lock mechanism from being sub jectedto strain, the stops being properly spaced, of course, with respect tothe cam to bring about this result.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the separate plate 15 underlyingthe escutcheon 13 is omitted and the other plate 15 is attached to andspaced from the escutcheon by means of studs or posts 18. In this case,therefore, the auxiliary spring device is carried by and forms a part ofthe escutcheon and it is applied to the door with the escutcheon in themanner shown. The action of this modified device with respect to thelock spindle is the same as that previously described.

It will therefore be understood that by my invention I provide a verysimple and effective form of double acting spring for the purposedescribed. The front and rear plates are spaced apart at such a slightdistance that the device is very thin and hence very little, if any,mortising is necessary in applying the device to the door.

By the construction described the cost of manufacturing the auxiliaryspring device is reduced to a minimum and yet the latch mechanism isfully protected when the marection. Moreover, the lever handle or itsequivalent is always returned quickly to a definite neutral position assoon as it is released by the operator.

While the foregoing description is necessarily a detailed one in so faras it concerns the particular forms of my invention selected forillustration and description, it will be understood that variousmodifica tions of the construction may be adopted within the scope ofthe appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an auxiliary spring device for latches, the combination of asupporting plate, a latch spindle passing through said plate, and adouble acting spring acting on said spindle and housed beneath saidplate; substantially as described.

2. In an auxiliary spring device for latches, the combination of asupporting plate, a latch spindle passing therethrough, and a springcarried by said plate and formed of a single metal piece acting on saidspindle to return it to neutral position when the spindle is oscillatedin either direction; substantially as described.

3. In an auxiliary spring device for latches, the combination of a latchbolt, an escutcheon, a plate associated with said escutcheon, a camjournaled in said plate, a latch operating spindle passing through saidcam, and a double acting spring acting on said cam; substantially asdescribed.

A. A device such as described, comprising a supporting plate, a camhaving a bearing in said plate and provided with a polygonal opening, alatch spindle passing through said opening, and a double acting springon said supporting plate engaged with the cam to return it to neutralposition; substantially as described.

5. A device such as described, comprising spaced supporting plates, acam having bearings in said plates and provided with a spindle opening,and a spring acting on said cam between the plates; substantially as described.

6. A device such as described, comprising spaced substantially parallelsupporting plates, a cam interposed between said plates and bearing atits ends in the respective plates, said cam having an opening for thelatch spindle, and a double acting spring carried by and interposedbetween said plates and normally holding the cam in neutral position;substantially as described.

7 A device such as described, comprising a supporting plate, a camhaving a bearing therein, a stud or post on said plate, and a springreacting against said stud or post and having oppositely acting branchesengaging opposite portions of the cam, substantially as described.

8. A device such as described, comprising a supporting plate, a stud orpost thereon, a cam rotatable With respect to said plate, and a singlespring doubled about said post and having crossed over branches bearingagainst opposite sides of the cam; substantially as described.

9. A device such as described, comprising a supporting plate, a camrotatable therein and having an opening for the latch spindle, a doubleacting spring normally holding said cam in neutral position, and stopsto limit the throw of the cam in either direc tion; substantially asdescribed.

10. A device such as described, comprising a supporting plate, a camrotatable therein and having an opening for the latch spindle, a post orstud 011 said plate, a spring reacting against said post and havingoppositely acting branches engaged With opposite sides of the cam, andstops at opposite sides of the cam; substantially as described.

11. A device such as described, comprising spaced supporting plates, acam rotatably mounted between said plates and having an openingtherethrough for a latch spindle, a post connecting said plates, aspring reacting against said post and having oppositely acting branchesengaged With said cam, and stop pins for limiting the oscillatingmovement of the cam in both directions; substantially as described.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 15th day ofNovember, 1912.

ALBERT A. PAGE.

Witnesses:

HENRY H. MUNsoN, CARL W. CARLsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

